Collapsible stand.



M. A. FORD.

COLLAPSIBLE STAND.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 24. 1915.

ms "Bums r'zrsns m. PHOTO-LIYHOU WASHINGTON. a. c.

Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

MATTHEW A. FORD, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

COLLAPSIBLE STAND.

Specification of Letters Patent. 7 Patented Sept. 26, 1916.

Application filed May 24, 1915. Serial No. 30,090.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MATTHEW A. Form, a citizen of the United States, residing at Rockford, in the county of Winnebago and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collapsible Stands, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates in general to collapsible stands or supports and has more particular reference to stands adapted for Eupporting cooking utensils above a camp One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a. stand or support of novel construction which may be used by hunters, canoeists and other sportsmen for supporting or suspending cooking utensils over a camp fire, and which when not in use may be folded or collapsed into a compact form so that it will occupy but a small space and be convenient to transport.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a stand of the above character of such improved design as to insure suflicient strength and durableness and withstand the heat to which the stand is subject during use.

Other and more specific objects of my in vention are to provide a hollow casing which forms part of the stand and is adapted to inclose the legs and hangers when they are not in use, to provide a novel means for supporting the hangers in operative position, to provide cap members for closing the ends of the casing when the legs and hangers are disposed therein, so that the casing has a finished appearance and the contents thereof are prevented from being displaced, and to provide novel means for locking the caps against being displaced from their closed positions.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal view through my improved stand, showing it in operative position; Fig. 2 is also a longitudinal sectional view through the stand, but showing it in collapsed arrangement; Figs. 3 and 4 are cross-sectional views taken on the lines 3 3 and 4-4, respectively of Fig. l; and Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views taken ,on the lines 55 and 66 of Fig. 2.

l he stand comprises in general a tubular casing or body 1 adapted to be supported by legs 3 which are slidable into the body, an extendible rod 4 slidably mounted in the casing and provided at its upper or outer end with a plurality of hangers 5, which are movable with the said rod into the body, and caps 6 and 7 adapted to close the open'ends of the body when the legs and hangers have The body 1 is formed preferably of a piece of tubing of suitable gage. The castings, designated in general by reference characters 27 and 8 are each ivotally secured as by means of suitable pins, in the body adjacent to an end thereof and provided with a central bore 9 and a. plurality of radially spaced apertures extending longitudinally through the castings. These apertures, which are of different widths, the wider be ing designated by the reference character 10 and the narrower by the character ll, are arranged so that their apertures are in longitudinal alinement. Each casting is cone shaped at one end, providing depressed seats 12, the purpose of which will be presently apparent. It will be noted that these cone shaped ends are located at the inside of the body and that the casting 7 is spaced within the top end of the body.

The rod 4 has fixedly securedto its upper end, the cap 6 which is adapted to cover the top opening of the body when therod is slid to its innermost position. Upon the underside of the cap are pivotally mounted three arms or hangers 5 arranged so that they will extend radially and horizontally from the rod and so that they may fold down adj acent thereto. Each hanger is pro vided with suitable notches onits upper face to receive and hold from' displacement the handle or bail of a cooking utensil or any other article to be supported over a fire. ()ne of the hangers is articulated at 13 so that it will be swung'sidewise to'various positions. A ring 14 slidingly mountedon the rod is adapted to be moved into abutting relation with the inner ends of the hangers to hold the'same in supporting position. Means are provided for holding the rod in extended position and comprise a manually operable slide or latch 15 adapted to engage an annular groove '16 in the rod.

Then it is desired-to move the hangers into the body, the ring 14? is released by slightly raising the outer ends of the hangers, thereby permitting the ring to slide down the rod: and allowing the hangers to be folded down; The latch 15 is then retracted and, the outer ends of the hangers having been entered in the openings 10, the rod 5 and hangers may be slid into the body until the cap 6 abuts against the top thereof, the outer ends of the hangers entering the openings 10 in the casting 8, as shown in Fig. 2.

The legs 3 passing through the apertures 1,1 of the lower casting, are provided at their inner ends with radially projecting pins 17, which by abutting against the faces 12 limit the extension of the legs from the body. The legs in their extended position are disposed in slots 18 formed in the body as a continuation or apertures 11. Since the pins 17 serve as a fulcrum for'the legs and the inner ends of the slots 18 form rests against which the legs abut, the legs are precluded against collapsing and are so arranged that they sustain the body and hangers in upright position. It will be apparent that the legs may be slid entirely into the body andthe pins of the legs abut against the faces 12 of the upper casting, as shown in Fig. 2.

When the hangers and legs are positioned within the body, a bottom cap 17 provided with a flanged edge for covering the slots 18 may be placed over the bottom end of the body. This cap is provided with means adapted to interlock the cap with the inner end of the rod 4 so as to preclude both the rod and hangers and, consequently the cap 6, against being withdrawn from the body and to interlock the bottom cover against removal. This locking means comprises a spring-pressed latch 20 carried by the cap 19 and engageablein an annular groove in the inner end of the rod 5 and releasable from looking engagement by actuation of a finger 21 bent downwardly from the latch member through a slot in the cover so as to be accessible from the outside thereof.

It should be understood that I do not limit myself to the particular form of looking device illustrated. for holding the rod in operative position and for locking the rod and both covers against removal, slnce various otherforms of locking devices might be equally well employed. It will also be apparent that while I have illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention, various changes in the structural details there of might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrific- I ing any of its material advantages.

I claim: 7

1. A device adapted for'supporting cooking utensils and other articles over a camp fire, comprising a tubular body, legs for supporting the same in upright position and being movable into the body, and means mounted in and projecting above theiupper end of the body and provided at its upper end with laterally extending hangers foldable into close relation to the said means and being movable therewith into the body, one of said hangers being so articulated intermediate its ends that its outer end may 1 be swung laterally upon and with respect to its inner end to different positions in which to support articles.

2. A device adapted for supporting cook ing utensils and other articles over a camp fire, comprising a tubular body, legs for supporting the same in upright position, hangers sustained by and projecting radially from the body, said legs and hangers,

being movable into the body, and caps adapted to close each end of the body when said legs and hangers have been moved thereinto, and a common means for holding said caps against being removed, said means being operable from the exterior of the device for permitting the caps to be removed.

3. An article of the character described comprising a tubular body inclosing' supporting legs and hangers extendible each from a separate end of the body to opera tive positions, caps adapted to cover the ends of the body when said legs and hangers are disposed therein, and a common means for locking both caps against displacement from their end covering positions.

4:. Astand adapted for supporting articles over a camp fire, comprising a tubular body, legs mounted in the body for supporting the same in upright, position, a cap disposed above the body and adapted to cover the upper end thereof, means fitting telescopingly in the body and connected to the cap for sup-porting the same in a position spaced above the body, a plurality of hangers pivotally mounted on the cap and extending.

over a camp fire, comprising a tubular body, legs mounted in the body for supporting the same in upright position and being slidable through the lower end of the body to posi" tions within the same, a cap adapted to cover the upper end of the body and provided with laterally extending hangers adapted to support cooking utensils and otherarticles, means, for holding the cap elevated above the body with said hangers in supporting position, said hangers and said cap-supporting means being movable through the top opening in the body .to positions within the same whereby the cap will cover the top opening, and. a bottom. cap.

adapted to cover the bottom opening after the legs have been moved into the body, said bottom cap being provided with means engageable with said cap-holding means for locking both caps against outward displacement.

6. In an article of the character described, the combination of a tubular body open at both ends, supporting legs movable from supporting position into the body through the lower end thereof, supporting means mounted in the top end of the body and provided at its outer end with radially extending hangers adapted to be moved with the supporting means into the body and provided also with a cap adapted to close the top end of the body after said supporting means and hangers have been positioned within the body, and a cap adapted to cover the lower end of the body and provided with means for locking both caps against outward displacement.

7. In an article of the character described, the combination of a tubular body, a casting secured within the same adjacent to each Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

within the body, a rod slidingly mounted in the bore of the other casting and provided at its-outer end with a cap adapted to close the adjoining end of the body and with pivotally mounted hangers adapted to fold into close relation to the rod and pass through certain apertures in the last named casting into the body by sliding of said rod into the same, the inner end of said rod being movable into the bore of the first named casting when said rod and hangers have been positioned within the body, and

means for locking said rod against being withdrawn from said position within the body.

MATTHEW A. FORD.

Washington, D. 0. 

